Facing the Music
by JL Wrighton
Summary: "Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another." Based off a paragraph of my Sun and Moon and Stars Fic.


_**Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another.**_

Wally sighed as he dodged around another reporter. An extremely grateful Chicago had put on an elegant affair for the Justice League, a majority of the League members having worked with local police to contain a toxic waste spill and several monsters the attacked the scientists that were there when it happened. Everyone had made it into some kind of dress or tuxedo and Wally was no exception. He had made a black version of his mask, as well as gloves that extended up his forearms. Some of the reporters here would just die to uncover some secret identities in the crowd, and he was determined to keep his the way it was. Secret.

He really wanted to see Shayera. Supergirl had declared her to be "smokin" earlier, but he hadn't seen her at all. Not that he wanted to see her dress, well nix that, he was sure she looked fabulous. But Shay had a talent for making these things go so much faster. Her cynic side came out, when she contemplated that the celebration she would normally do for a job well done was several cold beers and an ice pack of whatever she bruised up in her room, alone.

The party itself was wonderful to be sure. They had an excellent dinner in the hall, and moved into a larger circular room for socializing and dancing for the evening. A local symphony played above and waiters and waitresses cruised through, bearing fluted glasses and hor de'vours. The main floor was lit up, but just beyond the pillars was in complete darkness. On the other side of the room, he saw a flash of bright red hair and picked up his pace.

Shayera leaned again the dark side of a pillar, biting her lip. The dress had been a gift from Mauri. She didn't realize till now that the overall affect was very teenage girl prom and less sophisticated, as Mauri so stylishly herded John around, dressed in very high heels, and a slimming, dangerously cut peach dress.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Wally, dressed in simple tux next to her. "Thank goodness I found you. You always have the best hiding spots. What were you looking at?" He rambled on without waiting for an answer. "How much longer do we have?" She laughed, grateful for a distraction. "11 Flash." She was careful to use the name that everyone would know. "Only three more hours. Then we can go home." He stepped back to see her dress and she winced at the expression she could see.

"This isn't your usual style." It clearly wasn't a statement.

"I know. Lacking a mace, right?"

"No." Wally's tone got lower and he glanced around before leaning in closer. "Vixen loaned it to you?" She nodded. "I look like a sixteen year old girl huh?" He shrugged. "I think it's cute."

The dress wasn't terrible, it was true. But it was a satiny empire waisted dress that fell to the floor, and sleeves just past the elbow. A low back, hidden behind her hair, accommodated her wings. It was pale blue, only adding to the overall feeling of a teenager.

Normally Wally would have totally agreed with her and let her rail about how stupid everything was. But he had to admit, it worked for her. He'd already had some champagne with dinner and decided that if she killed him, he could blame it on alcohol.

"You make it look good."At her derisive snort, he turned her around so she could see herself if the highly polished wall, lit by the reflection of the lights. "See? The dress lets anyone watching you concentrate on your face. Unlike others."

Turning around, she could see Vixen some ten yards away, gripping John like a vise while bantering with another man, who was not looking her in the eye. "See?" he repeated. She turned back to him, throwing strange shadows on her face, half in light and half in darkness. "I see. She gets to socialize." A bitter tone was working its way into her voice. "Go have fun Wally. I hear some girls here are dying to dance with you."

"Why do you hide back here? Why do we both hide at these things?" Wally mused, realizing afterwards that it was aloud.

"You hide because you think I shouldn't be lonely." Shayera stated matter-of-factly. "I hide because I really don't want to face their music."

"Huh?" Wally was confused. "The music's fine." She sighed. "Them, Flash. I can't go out there at these things and hear them whisper behind my back and know that people here would love to kill me if it was a dark alley and not a dance floor."

He leaned against the pillar at her side, and grabbed her hand between them. "You're right," he said fiercely. "I stay here because no one should have to face that music _alone_."

Before she could stop him, he brought her with him to dance floor. A slow song had just come on, and he kept a tight grip on her hand and took her waist in the other. "Don't look at them."He said, barely moving his lips. "Look at me." He started a slow rotation, nothing particularly fancy, just swaying back and forth to the music and turning in a slow circle.

"This is okay." Shay said after a moment. When she stared at Wally, everything else became blurry, like when you stare at the tip of a pen. She bit her lip, not sure what to say. "Thanagarians don't dance."

"Thanagarians obviously aren't romantic then." He retorted.

"What?"

He thought belatedly that he should lay off the liquid courage. "Well, most girls like dancing. A guy dances with a girl he likes. And the music talks about being in love with someone. Sometimes the music can say things you might not have the courage to say." He swallowed, clearing his throat. "And when you want to dance with the person you're holding, and the music's right, it's the best way to dance."

Shayera remained quiet, listening to him still, so he rambled on. "Because no matter how simple or complicated the dance steps are, to dance with someone else and love it is better than standing still and letting others hurt you."

She blushed, the red spreading up her cheeks and ears. "Oh." she said softly. They remained in silence for the rest of the dance and walked off together, but not touching when the song ended. Wally excused himself and went to an empty hallway, groaning and thinking what the devil got into him to say all of that. He came back in several minutes later and found that another slow song was on. Feeling a light tug on his arm, he turned to see Shayera standing next to him. "Come on." She smiled and he could resist smiling in return. "It would be my pleasure." He grabbed her hand securely and they entered the floor, now smiling together. "You were right."she said softly. "This is amazing."


End file.
